All posts by Julie

My Dumb WCF Lesson for the day

dotNET

I was moving some code around and had a nice WCF Service Interface and Service Class created. So I copied them into a new project where I was re-creating my work.

When I tried to debug (self-host) the service, just to test it out with the embedded WCF Test Client.

But I kept getting this error:

“The client was unable to retrieve service metadata. Make sure the service is running and exposing metadata.”

This made no sense. My config file was fine. I even created a new WCF service in the solution, confirmed that it worked properly, then compared the config files line by line.

No problems.

After going around in circles for a while (including getting zero google results for that error message), a thought occurred to me. I copied and pasted the entire contents of the Interface and the service class. I hadn’t changed the namespace!

That was the problem. I fixed the namespace and the service ran in the Test Client just fine.

Entity Framework Extension Methods

Data Access

A few weeks ago, I was mooning over Extension Methods. Somehow, in the collection of language enhancements to VB9 and C#3, they have become a bit of a sleeper feature in light of LINQ. Everything is though, right?

So I wrote about them and thought about them, but then went back to my task at hand.

Danny Simmons also recently started seeing the light about Extension MEthods. But instead of going back to what he was doing, he spent quite a bit of time playing with them and is now blogging an Entity Framework Extension Method Extravaganza!

He’s going crazy with it already. What fun!

Jeff McWherter on ASP.NET Performance & Optimization at VTdotNET tonight

VTdotNetFeed

Jeff McWherter and his very cool wife (what a lucky geek he is!) have come from Lansing, Michigan to Vermont with hopes of ice climbing and so that Jeff can speak at the VTdotNET group. Unfortunately we lost all of our snow in the last week (though it’s finally snowing again) and the good ice for climbing is a little hard to find right now. Our neighbor, a rock climber, made some calls last night and hooked them up with some good insider info on where there’s some good ice. I told Jeff he can’t do that until AFTER he has spoken to the user group. Not that I want him to whack that brainy skull of his in half AFTER the user gruop presentation either!

When I spoke in Michigan this summer, Jeff came to my presentation both nights. It was the same talk , well at least the same title: Intro to Entity Framework, two nights in a row. He witnessed that the two talks were completely different from one night to the next.

We took them to a great local brew pub last night (BobCat Cafe in Bristol, VT). I will see if it’s possible to get a photo of Jeff without a glass of beer in his hand.

Definitely looking forward to tonight’s presentation!!

We also are fortunate to have gobs of swag. The magazines (CoDE and aspNET Pro) have been piling up for two months (they always seem to arrive the day after the meeting). We got lots of books sent at Christmas time and I always seem to have a bunch of Infragistics .NET Advantage licenses to give away now.

Additionanlly, we have a sponsor taking care of the whole meeting’s expenses- room fee and pizza – tekSystems. Thanks!!

Teaching Entity Framework at Stockholm Developer’s Summit in April

Data Access

I am very excited about this!!

I will be presenting 2 sessions and a full-day workshop at the Developer Summit 2008 in Stockholm April 9-11.

The workshop is “Entity Framework 0-60”  and the sessions are Entity Framework in the Enterprise and Silverlight Annotation.

Patrik Lowendahl, one of the organizers, tells me that Stockholm is really lovely in the Spring!

It also means I get to see my buddy Christian Weyer and meet Tess Ferrandez (the ASP.NET goddess at Microsoft Support), Jimmy Nillson and a bunch of people I’ve heard about for a long time and not had the chance to meet.

In case you can’t get to Sweden, I”ll be doing the full-day workshop at DevConnections in Orlando in late April.

Vermont IT Jobs: Programmer for Accounting Software in Burlington, VT

Jobs

Data Systems has a full-time opening for a good problem solver with a solid programming background and a strong interest in designing, coding and supporting accounting applications.

We have an immediate need for an entry-level programmer but would consider creating a position for the right candidate with more experience in software development or  accounting.

Data Systems is a worker-owned corporation and candidates with an  interest in being a business owner are encouraged to apply.

Job Requirements
Work with senior analysts to design software for new applications, support and enhance existing products written in the fourth generation programming language PRO-IV. We will provide training in our development environment. Other useful skills for this position include experience in accounting, software sales, system administration on Linux, Unix, or Win2000,  database administration, Java, Ruby, PHP, or web design.

Email resumes to datasystems@datasystems.coop

 

Err… how stupid can you be?

Just Rambling

Every time I see a reply on a forum, listserv or a blog comment that starts with “Err…” or “ummm…”, it translates in my brain as “how stupid are you anyway?” and reeks of arrogance.

I’ve always wondered if it’s intentional and if the person writing this realizes the effect it has…

Generally I give them the benefit of cluelessness.

Vermont IT Job: .NET programmer design a new system in East Dorset

Jobs

–copied and pasted from hiring company —

Pad Print Machinery in East Dorset Vermont

 

Software Developer’s Dream Job

 

Here’s your chance become an integral member of a small team now developing an entirely new set of software designs.   Conceive and design software to dynamically create or manipulate graphic image data.  Explore the fascinating real world of digital color management.   Experiment with dithering algorithms for error-reduction in our printing processes.  Conceive and design new software to handle Customer product using robots. 

 

Our software will control an entirely new line of industrial equipment utilizing piezoelectric, drop-on-demand, ink jet and material deposition printing technologies. 

 

We are a solid, industrial manufacturing company based in the beautiful Green Mountain state of Vermont, expanding into the rapidly growing frontier of industrial digital ink jet machines.

 

Experience

And you? You have a minimum 3 or more years experience with a .NET language, or 5 or more years experience with C++ and 1 or more years experience with a .NET language, and experience with development of software for industrial applications.

 

Additionally, you have the ability to conceive and implement object oriented designs and have demonstrated experience with one or more techniques for communicating and modeling software requirements, component interfaces and software designs (UML, written user scenarios/use cases, design patterns, etc).

 

Specific experience with any one or more of the following a PLUS:

            –  motion control and related safety logic

            –  development using QNX real time operating system

            –  digital image processing

            –  test driven design/development

            –  design and execution of UI usability studies.

 

BS in an Engineering discipline or Computer Science a PLUS.  

 

 

The job

 

The software to be developed and maintained will provide image processing, motion control, and ink supply maintenance functions. Over the life of this product line, software will be repeatedly adapted/customized for unique printing and product handling applications.

 

As part of this job, you will: perform design analyses which identify at least one alternate design and rationale for the final design selection of any new major software functionality to be implemented; implement software solutions consistent with agreed requirements and software design; on occasion ‘bolt together’ existing software products as needed (getting incompatible platforms to work together and creating code to link them); utilize a system of source code control (Seapine SCM); continue development of existing systems by analyzing and identifying areas for modification and attend company-sponsored training in order to keep up to date with advances in the Industry as it relates to software design and development, particularly as it relates to the data processing needs of a digital printing business.  

 

Does this sound like your idea of fun? Then you are the kind of person who will “fit” into the team we are building, and the company you will be a part of. We are a lively, caring group that is dedicated to customer service, quality and teamwork.

 

 

For more information contact:

Laura Kwapien, Senior Software Engineer (lkwapien@padprintmachinery.com)